The present invention relates to a content guide information processing apparatus, content guide information processing method and computer program for processing content guide information for guiding content viewing. In particular, the invention relates to a content guide information processing apparatus, content guide information processing method and computer program for processing guide information relating to playing/viewing of content which has been stored once.
More specifically, the invention relates to a content guide information processing apparatus, content guide information processing method and computer program for processing guide information relating to the playing/viewing of content retrieved through various modalities, such as television broadcasts and a computer network and, in particular, to a content guide information processing apparatus, content guide information processing method and computer program for clearly providing users with content guide information in formats compliant with different modalities.
Broadcasting plays significantly greater roles in today's information based society. In particular, television broadcasting directly provides audio and video information to audiences and has great influence in society. Broadcasting technologies include a wide variety of technologies, such as signal processing, signal communication and audio/video information processing. Various modalities are available for providing users with program content, including broadcasting by radio waves, such as terrestrial waves and satellite waves, cable television and network programs to be provided through computer communication.
An extremely high percentage of homes have television, and almost all homes have televisions. Thus, broadcasting content distributed from broadcasting stations is viewed by huge numbers of people. Alternatively, broadcasting content can be viewed by recording received content on a viewer side once, and then playing the content at any preferred time.
In recent years, a large amount of video/audio ΔV data can be stored with the advance of digital technologies. For example, a hard disk drive (HDD) having several tens of GB (gigabytes) or larger capacities can be purchased at relatively low prices. Hard disk drive (HDD) recorders, personal computers (PCs) having television program recording/viewing functions and, television receivers (set-top boxes) each containing an HDD and so on have also been available.
An HDD is an apparatus in which recorded data is randomly accessible. Therefore, in playing recorded content, recorded programs do not have to be simply sequentially played from the beginning as with a conventional videotape. The playing of a preferred program (or a specific scene or specific corner in a program) can be started directly.
However, with an increase in the capacity of an HDD, a user sometimes must think about content selection, such as which television program should be viewed first among many stored programs. In order to prevent keeping stored content idle and to effectively use the stored content, some viewing support may be necessary.
For example, a so-called Electrical Program Guide (EPG) system is known in which a program guide for selecting a broadcast television program over image signals is transmitted to a display apparatus, and the receiving display apparatus displays the program guide. The EPG is obtained in parallel with the process of recording a broadcast program, and a user can obtain a certain viewing support effect from the EPG to be provided when the user plays and views the recorded program.
Here, an EPG system may be of a Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) system (as disclosed in JP-T-6-504165 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,121) or of a digital satellite type to be used in a Digital Satellite System (DSS, which is a trademark of Hughes Communication, as disclosed in JP-A-8-111823).
In general terrestrial television broadcasts (in the Very High Frequency (VHF) band) of a VBI system, VBI data of an EPG is transmitted so that the position of the EPG does not affect the horizontal scanning lines of the original image. A receiver thereof can create display data of the EPG from the VBI data and display the display data on a monitor.
In the digital satellite system, EPG data and original image data are digitized, packetized and transmitted. A receiver thereof stores the EPG data in a memory, creates corresponding display data and displays the display data on a monitor.
On the other hand, an EPG in a format compliant with each provider is often provided in moving image content, that is, a “network program” to be provided from a predetermined moving image distribution service site over the Broadband Internet. In this case, the EPG data is stored in a memory, and corresponding display data is created. Thus, the display data can be displayed on a Web browser, for example.
In both of the systems, a user can select a program that the user desires to view with reference to an electronic program guide or a program list in another form displayed on a monitor.
However, independent formats and/or forms exist for providing an EPG or program list function for respective systems for broadcasting, distributing and providing content. Thus, program information (that is, guide information relating to the playing/viewing of content) must be provided on a monitor through separate user interfaces. Therefore, users cannot view different program information at-a-glance and it is hard for users to understand.
For example, in order to view a desired program in either terrestrial broadcasting or satellite broadcasting, the program is searched in an EPG of a VBI system and is checked to see whether the program is provided in terrestrial broadcasting. When the desired program is not on the list of the EPG, the program is searched in an EPG for satellite broadcasting in the same manner. In this case, it is a complicated procedure to view a predetermined program fast and securely.
For example, a system has been proposed that allows the fast and secure selection of a desired program on a display of an integration of EPGs in different formats of broadcast content (as disclosed in JP-A-2000-295585).
However, an EPG is originally a description of guide information relating to program content on air but is not independent guide information for content (self-recorded content) stored in a user's recorder, such as an HDD recorder.
The integration of an EPG for broadcast content and an EPG for network programs, that is, the integration of EPGs for content in different modalities, is not provided. Therefore, users cannot view the EPGs at a glance, which is hard for users to understand. Apparently, no system provides guide information including an integration of self-recorded content and network program content.
In other words, no system provides content stored in an HDD recorder by a user through a unified user interface irrespective of modalities. Thus, users cannot view guide information on a recorder/player at a glance, and the users' operability is not high.